Chevron Argentina operates at the heart of the Vaca Muerta North Zone, Loma Campana (50-50 JV with YPF), El Trapial and Loma de la Lata. Per publicly filed data, its blocks consume high volumes of API 19C-certified proppant each year. In-Basin Sand sits 35 km from Añelo, the operational gateway to Chevron's acreage, and delivers certified sand at a freight-corrected US$90/ton, versus US$145/ton from the Ibicuy fluvial corridor in Entre Ríos.
Chevron's Argentine hydraulic fracturing programs concentrate in Neuquén province. The nearest rail-connected silica source historically used by the basin is Ibicuy (Entre Ríos), approximately 1,400 km from Añelo by road. That distance adds roughly US$135/ton of trucked freight. In-Basin Sand, based in Malargüe, Mendoza, stands 35 km from the basin, a logistics shift that reshapes per-well proppant economics.
| Source | Distance to Añelo | Delivered cost |
|---|---|---|
| In-Basin Sand (Malargüe) | ~35 km | ~US$90/ton (target) |
| Ibicuy (Entre Ríos) | ~1,400 km | US$145/ton |
| Río Negro suppliers | 200 to 400 km | US$90 to 120/ton |
Both mesh cuts delivered by In-Basin Sand, +30/+70 and -70/+140, are certified under API 19C and ISO 13503-2, the two international standards referenced by the major Vaca Muerta operators in their service-company frac designs. The site produces from a Malargüe silica deposit with independently validated reserves (3.2M t cubicated lead figure / 60M+ t inferred) and is backed by an SGS Minerals (Chile) attrition and granulometry report.
In-Basin Sand is in active commercial conversations with North Zone operators in the Vaca Muerta basin, the group that includes operators like Chevron, YPF and Vista. Discussion covers updated technical specs, logistics pricing and supply structures for the 2026 to 2027 well programs. Technical data and commercial terms are shared under NDA.
North Zone operators like Chevron, YPF and Vista publicly disclose completion activity in the Argentine Oil Secretariat reports. A switch from long-haul Entre Ríos freight to regional Malargüe origin sand reduces trucked kilometres by roughly 97%, which in turn reduces Scope 3 freight emissions, highway wear and stage-to-stage well completion variability. The sand itself meets identical API 19C crush and roundness thresholds, the differentiator is the kilometres between pit and wellhead.
Phase 1 reaches 15,000 t/month at full capacity, with 50 t/hr throughput and a mine life of about 18 years at that rate. That output envelope is consistent with single-operator supply for a mid-scale multi-pad program in the Loma Campana / El Trapial corridor.
In-Basin Sand is raising a US$2.4M secured convertible note across three milestone-gated tranches (A US$500K, B US$800K, C US$1.1M). Minimum ticket US$25,000. Public landing: https://inbasinsand.com